HSK 7
不知⋯⋯好
bù zhī ⋯ ⋯ hǎo
Not knowing what would be best / Not knowing what to do
Explanation
不知⋯⋯好 is a fixed structure (格式 gěshì) expressing bewilderment, being at a loss over what to do/say in an awkward situation.
不知 (bùzhī, do not know) + an indirect question (such as 如何解决 rúhé jiějué 'how to solve it', 说什么 shuō shénme 'what to say') + (才 cái) 好 (hǎo). 才好 adds the sense 'would be right, would be proper'.
When the speaker is at a loss and has not yet found a way to handle things; usable in both speech and writing, with a pensive tone.
Between 不知 and 好 there must be an indirect question (with an interrogative word such as 如何/什么/怎么), not an ordinary declarative clause; and do not add a question mark to the whole sentence, because this is a declarative sentence expressing hesitation, not an actual question.
Examples
This matter is very complicated; I don't know how best to resolve it.
Seeing him so nervous that his palms were sweaty, I didn't know what to say either.
Practice
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Learn “不知⋯⋯好” effectively
The grammar point “不知⋯⋯好” (Not knowing what would be best / Not knowing what to do) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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